Here's why they're given this title:
* Similar digestive process: Both ruminants and rabbits have a multi-chambered digestive system. This allows them to digest plant matter that is hard for other animals to break down.
* Cecotrophy: Rabbits practice cecotrophy, a process where they eat their own soft, nutrient-rich feces (cecotropes). This behavior allows them to extract additional nutrients from the plant matter they've already consumed.
However, here's where they differ from true ruminants:
* Rumen vs. cecum: Ruminants have a large, four-chambered stomach called the rumen, where bacteria break down plant matter. Rabbits have a small stomach and a large cecum, the primary site of microbial digestion.
* Cud chewing: Ruminants chew cud, bringing food back up to their mouths for further chewing and digestion. Rabbits do not chew cud.
* Different bacterial populations: The types of bacteria present in the rumen and cecum differ, resulting in different digestion processes.
In summary, rabbits are called pseudo ruminants because they exhibit some ruminant-like characteristics in their digestive process, particularly the reliance on microbial digestion and the practice of cecotrophy. However, their digestive system differs from that of true ruminants in its structure, function, and bacterial populations.